The invention relates to an intake device comprising an intake air plenum, a plurality of intake ducts, and a cylinder head flange.
Published German patent application no. DE 199 41 179 discloses an intake device for an internal combustion engine, which comprises an accumulator tank with connected intake distributor channels. The intake distributor channels, at their end facing away from the accumulator tank, have a branching area, which forms a single piece together with the intake distributor channel. The branching area divides the cross-section of the intake distributor channel into two separate flow cross sections. An intermediate flange, which is directly connected to a cylinder head, adjoins the intake distributor channels as a separate component. The partitioning of the flow cross sections is continued in the intermediate flange.
To produce defined turbulent flows in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine, a flap is arranged in one of the flow cross sections. When the flap seals this flow cross-section, the air flows into the combustion chamber only through the open flow cross section and thereby produces one kind of turbulence. When the flap is open, the air flows into the combustion chamber through both flow cross-sections and produces a different kind of turbulence.
The drawback in this embodiment is the complex manufacture of the intake device with the branching areas in the intake distributor channels. To produce these intake channels requires costly cores or complex half shells, which define the contour of the branching area. This is both expensive and labor intensive.
The object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive branched intake device that can be manufactured at modest cost.
A further object of the invention is to provide a branched intake device that is simple to manufacture.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing an intake device for an internal combustion engine comprising an intake air plenum, a plurality of intake ducts, and a cylinder head flange, in which the intake air plenum communicates between the atmosphere surrounding the internal combustion engine and the intake ducts; each intake duct is connected with the cylinder head flange and associated with a combustion chamber in the internal combustion engine; the cylinder head flange is attached to the internal combustion engine; a divider for separating each intake duct into a first flow cross section and a separate second flow cross section is arranged in the area of the cylinder head flange; a closing element is provided for opening and closing the first flow cross section, and the divider for separating the intake duct into first and second flow cross sections comprises an insert arranged in a recess in the cylinder head flange, and the insert comprises a partition that separates the first flow cross section from the second flow cross section.
The intake device according to the invention for an internal combustion engine comprises an intake air plenum, intake ducts or channels, and a cylinder head flange. This intake device can be formed, for instance, by a single component, which is produced, in particular, by a core melting process or aluminum pressure die casting, or by a multi-part component. The intake air plenum on the one hand communicates with the atmosphere surrounding the internal combustion engine and on the other hand with the intake ducts. Various components used, for instance, to pretreat the air, e.g., an air filter, or to cool components, can be arranged between the intake air plenum and the atmosphere.
The intake ducts coming from the intake air plenum are connected to the cylinder head flange to supply the air from the intake air plenum to the internal combustion engine. Each intake duct is associated with a combustion chamber arranged in the internal combustion engine, which requires the air for combustion. The cylinder head flange is mounted to the internal combustion engine in the area of the cylinder head, particularly by means of screws.
In the area of the cylinder head flange, a divider is provided for separating the intake duct into a first flow cross section and a second flow cross section. The divider for separating the intake duct into a first and a second flow cross section divides the air flowing from the intake air plenum through an intake duct to the internal combustion engine into two partial flows. The flow cross sections can have any contours, e.g., rectangular or oval.
The first flow cross section is designed in such a way that it can be closed and opened by a closing element. This closing element is arranged, for instance, on the cylinder head flange or the cylinder head and communicates with the first flow cross section. The closing element can, for instance, be formed as a flap or a rotary valve.
If the closing element blocks the first flow cross section, only the portion of the air flowing through the second flow cross section can reach the combustion chamber. If the closing element is open, the air from the intake duct can flow through both flow cross sections into the combustion chamber, with the result that the air fills the combustion chamber in a different way.
The divider for separating the intake duct into two separate flow cross sections is formed by an insert, which is arranged in a recess or receptacle in the cylinder head flange and the periphery of which is completely surrounded over its entire height by the recess. This insert can have any outer contour. It may, for instance, have a rectangular configuration. The insert has a partition that separates the first flow cross section from the second flow cross section. This partition has at least the same height as the periphery of the insert. A recess for a separate insert is associated with each intake duct.
Prior to mounting the intake device to the internal combustion engine, the inserts are placed into the recesses. No special fastening elements are required to fix the inserts in the recesses. The use of fastening elements, such as screws, to fix the inserts in the recesses may be useful, however, in some special embodiments. The intake device with its cylinder head flange is sealingly fastened directly to the cylinder head without any intermediate components.
Of course, a sealing element can be provided between the cylinder head flange and the cylinder head. Since no intermediate components, e.g., flanges, need to be clamped between the cylinder head and the cylinder head flange, the fastening elements can be shorter, so that assembly is simplified. Since the cylinder head flange is sealingly connected with the cylinder head both in its peripheral area and between the intake ducts, the insert does not need to be sealed relative to the recess. It is sufficient if the insert rests flat against the recess.
In other embodiments, a sealing ridge may be arranged on the insert, which rests against the recess or is pressed into the recess. A slight leakage flow between the insert and its recess does not affect the function of the intake device.
In one specific embodiment of the invention, the intake air plenum, the intake ducts, and the cylinder head flange are formed by at least two half shells sealingly connected with one another. These half shells are preferably made of a thermoplastic material; glass fiber-reinforced plastics are able to withstand greater loads. In particular embodiments, the half shells can be mechanically connected, e.g., by screws or clamps, with the use of a seal. The first half shell forms the upper part of the intake device, that is, the upper side of the intake air plenum and the upper side of the intake ducts. The second half shell forms the bottom side of the intake device, that is, the bottom side of the intake air plenum, the bottom side of the intake ducts, and the cylinder head flange. Using two half shells allows for simple and cost-effective production of the intake device. The two half shells are also simple to produce since all the contours can be removed from the respective molds using simple cores.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the partition extends beyond the insert and into the intake duct. This causes the airflow to be separated in the intake duct, so that an earlier and thus better separation of the two partial flows is achieved. The second half shell remains unchanged in its configuration, so that production and demolding are kept simple.
It is advantageous for the partition to have a tapering upstream cross section in order to optimize the air flow. This tapering cross section assures a gentle separation of the airflow into the two partial flows. Very little turbulence is generated as the airflow is divided. This optimizes the flow of the partial airflows and assures that a maximum amount of air is supplied to the internal combustion engine.
A further embodiment of the invention provides that the closing element be arranged in the insert. In this case, the closing element, which, for example, comprises a rotary valve, can be optimally adjusted to the first flow cross section prior to mounting the intake device to the internal combustion engine, so as to achieve an optimal seal of the flow cross section.
According to a further embodiment of the invention, the sealing element is a flap valve or butterfly valve that is centered on a shaft. The closing elements of all intake ducts can be arranged on a single shaft, so that all closing elements change their position simultaneously. This assures that the operating conditions of all combustion chambers correspond and prevents an uneven load distribution.
A further embodiment of the invention provides that each closing element in each insert has its own shaft, and the individual shafts are connected to a single actuating mechanism. The length of the individual shafts is only slightly greater than the first flow cross section. This prevents the shaft from twisting along its length so that the positions of the valves do not correspond. All the shafts are connected to the single actuating mechanism, so that all closing elements are moved synchronously and again the same conditions are created for all combustion chambers.
It is advantageous if the insert is elliptical and the flow cross sections are circular. As a result, the first and second flow cross sections can be circular and the insert requires only one recess, which is only slightly larger than the diameter of the flow cross sections. Furthermore, circular closing elements are better able to seal the first flow cross sections, so that improved tightness and thus improved separation of the two partial streams is achieved.
In one advantageous embodiment of the invention, the insert is manufactured together with the closing element by an assembly injection molding process. First, the outer shape of the insert with the partition is produced from a thermoplastic material. The flap is then injection-molded in place in the cooled and solidified outer shape, such that the outer shape forms part of the injection mold for the flap. The flap optimally conforms to the outer shape and thus compensates all tolerances. As the flap cools, the plastic shrinks slightly, so that the flap becomes movable relative to the other shape.
In a first embodiment, the flap is injection-molded onto a metal shaft, which is inserted into the outer shape before the flap is injection-molded. In a second embodiment, the shaft and the flap form a single piece and can be produced in a single process step. In this case, the shaft ends are molded onto the flap and are supported in the outer shape. The movability of the ends of the shaft, as described above, is assured by the shrinkage of the shaft end material. Assembly-injection-molded inserts make it possible to minimize leakage despite the use of a simple production process.
These and other features of preferred embodiments of the invention, in addition to being set forth in the claims, are also disclosed in the specification and/or the drawings, and the individual features each may be implemented in embodiments of the invention either alone or in the form of subcombinations of two or more features and can be applied to other fields of use and may constitute advantageous, separately protectable constructions for which protection is also claimed.